


Fog

by itsaquinnquinnsituation



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:14:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1518719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsaquinnquinnsituation/pseuds/itsaquinnquinnsituation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So very easy to get lost...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fog

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction, intended for entertainment purposes only. I do not mean to offend or insult anyone. No characters, real or based off real people, belong to me. I am not making money off my work.
> 
> This is my universe and exactly how I see it. Writing should be enjoyed, not judged.
> 
> I challenged myself to a dialogue-only story. It was not easy. I hope you enjoy.

"Uh... Hello?“

"May I speak with Harry Styles, please?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“My name is Zayn Malik and I am a bartender at the nightclub called Mozaic.”

“Okay… why are you calling me?”

“We found you listed as an emergency contact on an identification insert in the wallet belonging to one of our clients…”

“Who?”

“Lewis… uh… Lewis Tomlinson…?”

“Louie?”

“Do you know him?”

“He is my best friend. Is something the matter?”

“We wouldn’t normally do this, but your friend was found unconscious in the lavatories of our establishment and…”

“Unconscious?”

“Yes, he… (Yes, just wait one second, Liam!)… He passed out in the toilet. We tried to revive him, but he is completely (I said, wait! You can just put away those bottles right now) … wasted. He is in a total fog, can barely open his eyes. I didn’t notice if he was with someone else here tonight, but in any case we are about to close and I cannot find anyone to take care of him…”

“He’s unconscious? Why are you calling *me*? Call an ambulance!”

“I would, only… You see, since he lost his job, I doubt that he has any insurance and an ER bill for something as stupid as that would be…”

“He lost his job?”

“I… I’m sorry. I don’t know if he got a new one… I… was just talking about his newspaper job… sorry, this is none of my business, he… happened to… have told me about it once or twice… and I used to read his articles…”

“Why don’t you call him a taxi? Do you need his address?”

“No… no… we… there’s an address on his driving license… uh… looks like it’s expired… huh… uh… so… I’m not sure how accurate it is… although I doubt he can get himself into the door… I’m sorry, sir. We would not normally call a stranger at 3 o’clock in the morning, but… I happened to have seen Lewis here… and talked to him a few times. He’s a really nice guy and I thought since you were his friend, I could take the liberty to…”

“Okay. Well, my question is, can you keep him somewhere for the next … roughly four hours?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Because that’s exactly how long it’s going to take me to drive out to New York from Washington, DC.”

 

 

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“What?”

“Anything. Everything. Why do I have to find out from a bartender that you had lost your job?”

“That’s… that was none of his business. What would he know?”

“Well, he certainly didn’t know that you were crashing in a motel. Neither did I. So, what happened?”

“Nothing. Niall’s is a bit too cramped and I couldn’t find a place to rent on a short notice. They need proof of employment everywhere. And then… I don’t know? I just stopped caring.”

“And your place?”

“Couldn’t make the mortgage payments.”

“What? You lost your apartment? Jesus! Lou, why didn’t you tell me?”

“My problems are not your responsibility.”

“Are you kidding me? You are my best friend! My place is your place! This is, in fact, almost literally true! I can easily take my shit out of the off… your old room and you can have it all to yourself! It will be just like college! I think my parents still have your old bed frame in their garage…”

“You’ve kept my old bed frame?”

 

 

 

“Are you ready to talk about it?”

“I’ve got nothing to say.”

“Okay, we don’t have to… but you are not going back to New York.”

“You have no right to be making decisions on my behalf!”

“I don’t. But this time, I will.”

“I am not a child…”

“Just let me…”

“And I don’t need you to watch me!”

“Lou!”

 

 

“How did you dare going behind my back?”

“I didn’t. He was the first to contact me. I simply agreed. What’s the big deal?”

“That you two… are… treating me like… like your…”

“He is just sending over your stuff so it’s not sitting in his living room, Lou. You said it yourself, his place is quite cramped. Three people in one little studio is not the most comfortable arrangement.”

“You barely know him!”

“But he cares about you.”

“And besides, this here, me staying at your place, is just a temporary thing!”

“You can stay as long as you want.”

“Well, I don’t want to!”

 

 

“What did they say?”

“The same bloody thing! They don’t think that I am suited for the job, considering that it is a fast-paced environment, with loads of sharp things and sharp corners around!”

“Well…”

“Well what? Harry, I told you, this is useless!”

“Okay, Lou, but then you know what I’m going to suggest…”

“No! Don’t you fucking mention it! I am not going to any Social Disability Services crap! Never did and never will.”

“It doesn’t matter to me what you do during the day, Louis. My place is your place. But I think you are getting depressed just sitting indoors.”

“And where the hell would I go? I can’t very well *drive* around!”

“Lou… Just… just calm down. I know it sucks that they didn’t let you renew your driving license, but you have to agree, even three years ago your eyes…. Look, Washington, DC, has excellent public transportation… What? Well, if you will be making this face, then I don’t know how to help you!”

“I don’t need any help!”

“I am just trying to show you that there are plenty of things you can do in life and…”

“Like what? You name even just one thing for me, Harry, that I can do without using my eyes!”

“Lou…”

“Forget about it. I don’t really care.”

 

 

 

“Lou?”

“What are you doing here, Harry?”

“Same thing as you are, I suppose.”

“Did you follow me? You never go to bars!”

“I came home from work…the house was empty… so I just thought I might…”

“You knew that I would be here. I always used to come here in college.”

“That’s… yes, maybe, that’s true.”

“So. Why did you follow me?”

“I just… Who are you here with?”

“Does it matter?”

“Maybe it does.”

“Why? Because I’m *different*? Because somebody might… take advantage of me if you’re not there to watch out? ”

“Lou, for Christ’s sake!”

“No, I don’t need you babysitting me, Harry, and telling me what I can and can’t do! I really can do without your pity!”

“For God’s sake, Lou! Is that what you think I’ve been feeling for you all these years?? Pity?? You think I’ve been begging you to come back since you moved out just because I feel sorry for you? Damn… You really can’t see what’s in front of your nose!”

 

 

“Fuck off already...”

“I won’t. How did you know it was me?”

“I would know it were you even if you were in a crowd.”

“How?”

“We have our ways. I can tell that you’re stressed just by the way your steps sound on this sidewalk. I can smell you… you still use the same shampoo and the same cologne that you did in college.”

“They remind me of the happier times.”

“How did you know that I would be here?”

“This is the place you always used to come to when… things got a little too much. I started doing that after you left. I wanted to experience what you did… here. What you thought. What you felt around you. Sometimes, it would be so foggy that I couldn’t see five feet in front of me… hah, maybe that’s why they call it Foggy Bottom…. Anyway, and I used to think…. I used to wonder if this is exactly what it’s like for you… every day… and... and you know…”

“Why did you want to know it? I mean… how… how I feel?”

“I wanted to know why you left. Why you haven’t visited me even once in the past year. Why we were almost not talking anymore. I had no idea this and… everything… has gotten so bad.”

“I… just didn't want you to...”

“That’s not all. I used to wonder if you are seeing somebody... in New York.”

“Seeing somebody? How could I be *seeing somebody*, Harry, when I can barely *see* them? Hah… To tell you the truth, if I go to a bar, sometimes I pretend to be drunk as an excuse for constantly running into things…”

“Yeah, I... I know.”

“Nobody else does.”

“So what are you so stressed out about? You can wake up completely blind tomorrow, Louis, and I would still be right here. I can stop nagging you about using a cane or the Disability Services but I couldn’t stop worrying about you even if I tried. And if I follow you around, it’s because I don’t know of another way to... to love you!”

“Are you in love with me, Harry?”

“Can you really not see it?”

“Well… hah, if you put it that way, no I can’t. I can barely see your face from where I'm standing. My field of good vision right now is only about ten inches.”

“I can come closer... if you want. Where’s ten inches? About here?”

“N-not quite… a little…Yeah…. Something like… but you know….that’s… the ten inches… that’s only when I’m wearing my glasses… now, if I took them off…”

 

 

“Mmmmm… well, it looks to me like… you’ve found one activity you can easily do without using your eyes…”

“It’s… pretty... amazing…”

“We should do it more often…. And that thing that you said earlier, Louis… You know, I agree that you staying on my couch should only be a temporary thing. Because I’d much rather you moved into my bed… as soon as possible.”


End file.
